Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the field of flashlights and holders for holding flashlights.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flashlights are useful because they are portable and lightweight. In certain situations, it is preferable to place the flashlight in a holder such that both of the user""s hands are free. For instance, construction workers, electricians and maintenance workers often require the use of a flashlight and it is common to affix a holder to a hard hat and insert a flashlight in the holder. Some flashlights commonly used are operated by holding the barrel of the flashlight and twisting the head. Among the several disadvantages of using this type of flashlight in a holder is that it requires two hands to operate the flashlight, one hand being used to hold the barrel and the other to manipulate the head. Otherwise, the flashlight would rotate in the holder.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art device disclosed by Ludbrook et al., in U.S. Des. Pat. No. 401,005, issued on Nov. 10, 1998, which is provided for mounting a flashlight to the brim of a hat. The clip portion of the flashlight holder and the barrel support portion of the holder are parallel to each other. Although the barrel support portion supports the barrel of the flashlight, the barrel of the flashlight is not inhibited from rotation therein. Accordingly, in order to prevent such rotation, two hands are required to operate the flashlight as described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,040 issued on Sep. 27, 1983, to R. P. Connone discloses a flashlight holding implement which is attached to a hat brim for enabling the user to direct and adjust the angular position of the light beam. The ""040 device includes a flashlight adapted with a clip, a flashlight supporting clip, and a hinge-type mechanism for selecting the angular position of the flashlight relative to the flashlight supporting clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,780 issued on Apr. 6, 1993, to J. M. Ekman discloses a hat attachment for receiving a flashlight in an orientation to project a beam of light forward of the wearer. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,494 issued on Aug. 1, 1995, to B. L. Harlan discloses a holder for a flashlight. Each holder defines an attachment device which is parallel to the flashlight barrel support portion such that the holder must be attached to one side of a hat or cap. The barrel support portion of each holder holds the flashlight barrel therein using only friction, which, under certain circumstances, will permit the rotation of the flashlight barrel therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,346 issued on Oct. 24, 1995, to N. Hirsch discloses an article holder which includes a clip and a clamp to which the clip is releasably securable. The clip defines an article holding portion which releasably holds a cylindrical article such as a flashlight. The article holding portion defines a configuration similar to the barrel support portion of the prior art illustrated in FIG. 1. As in previously discussed prior art devices, the cylindrical article is held in position via friction, which, under certain circumstances, will permit the rotation of the cylindrical article therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,538 issued on Oct. 31, 1995, to R. C. Womack discloses a portable light source which is mounted on a hat or cap via an adjustable mounting bracket. The light source includes a separate portable power source which communicates with the light source via an electrical connector. The mounting assembly must be secured to an object to support the light source and is not free standing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,065 issued on Aug. 19, 1997, to J. Jamieson discloses a flashlight holder configured to be secured to a protective helmet, a hardhat or the like. The ""065 device includes a carrier element adapted to receive a standard flashlight, an adjustment means connected to the carrier element and provided to adjust the carrier element and the flashlight to the position required by the protective helmet wearer. A mounting adapter means is connected to the carrier element by the adjustment means and provided to releasably attach the holder to the protective helmet. The mounting adapter means includes a leaf and a resilient tong which are adapted to be received in a slot defined by the helmet. The adjustment means comprises a swivel ball-socket arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,868 issued on Sept. 9, 1997, to D. Montalbano et al., discloses a flashlight bracket for releasably securing a flashlight to a portion of a brim of a helmet. The flashlight bracket is adapted to receive a flashlight having a handle portion and a light emitting portion, the light emitting portion being disposed to emit a beam of light at an acute angle or at an approximate right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle portion of the flashlight. The flashlight bracket includes a face plate, a flashlight maintaining apparatus, a substantially C-shaped channel, and a face plate clamping apparatus. The flashlight maintaining apparatus is disposed on the face plate and is adapted to receive the handle portion of the flashlight. The substantially C-shaped channel is disposed on the lower portion of the face plate and cooperates with the face plate clamping apparatus to clamp the flashlight bracket to the helmet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,604 issued on Apr. 20, 1999, to S. C. Crabb et al., discloses various types of head gear, each being provided with an aperture on either side adapted to loosely receive the barrel of a flashlight. The aperture is oriented such that the flashlight projects a beam of light forward of the wearer. In using the ""604 device, the flashlight is illuminated and then inserted into the aperture.
Although not specifically directed to a device for mounting a flashlight to head gear, U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,502 issued on Oct. 7, 1997, to M. T. Caterbone teaches a light apparatus adapter for attachment to a sports shoe. The apparatus includes a toe shoe form adapted to be secured on the upper portion of a toe of a shoe. A strap is connected to the toe shoe form for circumscribing the heal of the shoe to which the toe shoe form is to be attached. A light is connected to the toe shoe form for focusing a beam of light in generally a direction forward of the toe shoe form to light the path ahead of the shoe wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,543 issued to the inventor of the present device discloses a flashlight holder assembly for releasably receiving a flashlight of the type having head rotatable with respect to a barrel for operation thereof. The ""543 device is specifically configured for receiving a flashlight having a barrel which defines a faceted exterior surface. As illustrated in FIG. 2 of the present disclosure, the flashlight holder defines a barrel support and a base. The barrel support defines a faceted internal surface and a slot which cooperate to closely receive the barrel in a non-rotatable manner. The base defines a base plate to which the barrel support is secured. In one embodiment, the holder includes a clip which extends from the base plate and is positioned below the base plate and cooperates with the base plate to receive and retain the periphery of an article therein.
Other devices provided for holding a flashlight relative to another object are disclosed in the following U.S. Letters Patent:
The present invention is a flashlight holder for use with a conventional hard hat without modification of the hard hat. The flashlight holder is designed such that a flashlight can be operated with one hand when retained in the flashlight holder. The flashlight holder is adapted to releasably receive a flashlight of the type defining a faceted barrel and a head which is rotatable relative to the barrel for operation of the flashlight.
The flashlight holder defines a barrel support which is secured to a base. The barrel support defines an interior surface and a slot which cooperate to closely receive the flashlight barrel. The interior surface of the barrel support is faceted for receiving the faceted exterior surface of the flashlight barrel and thereby retaining the flashlight in a non-rotatable manner. The slot permits the expansion of the barrel support to accommodate the flashlight barrel, thus creating a retaining force on the flashlight barrel when inserted therein. The flashlight barrel is linearly adjustable within the barrel support.
The hard hat is of a conventional configuration which includes a slotted receptacle defined on either side thereof for receiving various conventional attachments such as a face guard or other safety device. The base of the flashlight holder defines a tab extending from the base plate in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel support. The tab is configured to be releasably engaged within the slotted receptacle of the hard hat. A locking projection extends from the distal end of the tab in a direction opposite the barrel support for engaging a lower edge of the hard hat.
In order to facilitate a locking engagement of the flashlight holder tab within the hard hat slotted receptacle, the tab is fabricated from a resilient material such that as the tab is inserted into the slotted receptacle, the tab flexes to accommodate passage of the locking projection. When the locking projection passes the lower edge of the hard hat, the tab snaps back toward its initial configuration, whereby the locking projection is engaged under the hard hat lower edge and prevents unselected removal of the flashlight holder. The tab remains partially flexed when engaged within the slotted receptacle such that the flashlight holder is held tightly as a result of the bias of the tab. In order to remove the flashlight holder from the hard hat, the tab is flexed to disengage the locking projection. The flashlight holder is then lifted to remove the tab from within the slotted receptacle.